Southern Cross Cables has reached a milestone achievement for the flagship Tasman Express undersea cable project, which directly connects Sydney to Auckland. The advanced system will span over 2,200 kilometers between the Pacific and Australian shores in the Tasman Sea and deliver 400 Tbps available capacity delivered over 16 fiber pairs by 2028. Built to support the rapidly growing Trans Tasman data demand, the cable will offer high-speed, low-latency connectivity that will redefine the digital connection between Australia and New Zealand.
Trans-Tasman digital connections revolutionised by new infrastructure
Sydney, New Zealand – Southern Cross Cables today reported the successful delivery of a number of key delivery dates relating to its flagship Tasman Express subsea cable project, an innovative subsea cable system that creates a direct connection between Sydney and Auckland. Tasman Express, designed to address the ever-increasing demand for trans-Tasman data capacity, will provide the fastest, lowest-latency connection between Australia and New Zealand that marks a step-change in the way we interact digitally.
Extending for 2,200 kilometres across the Tasman Sea, the new cable is designed for multi-terabit throughput with ultra-low latency – enabling new applications for cloud, AI training and inferencing, enterprise network, and Digital Transformation in both countries.
“Tasman Express is more than just infrastructure – it’s a strategic enabler in the digital future of the region,” said Laurie Miller, President and CEO, Southern Cross Cables.
Advanced technology provides previously unseen capacity and performance
Slated for completion in 2028, Tasman Express will offer 400 Tbps of capacity on 16 pairs of fibre, providing exponential capacity growth to support the demands of AI, cloud, and digital infrastructure. With next-generation application latency best in class and connecting large data centre hubs with unsurpassed speed, the system is built for incredible performance. Open Cable System architecture provides for backward compatibility to future submarine line terminal upgrades, and ASN branching unit technology allows for optional landings at alternative Australian and New Zealand locations, dependent upon demand.
Strategic benefits position the region for digital leadership
Transmission capacity demand is very strong with hyper-scalers, telcos, and enterprise customers showing signs of strong confidence and willingness to participate in the markets offered by Tasman Express via its low-latency and direct Sydney-Auckland route. The cable provides a high-capacity, direct connection that improves latency and increases the performance of mission-critical applications, thereby increasing network dependability by diversifying existing routes and reducing the possibility of an outage or disruption occurring.
Designed for scalability in the future, the system has the capacity to keep pace with the explosive growth of bandwidth needs by hyper-scalers, telcos, and enterprises over time. Regional empowerment increases access to high-capacity interconnection between core regional data-centre hubs in Sydney and Auckland. With commercial service to follow in 2028, the cable is already commanding a healthy level of attention from cloud providers, content platforms, and government agencies.
Market readiness supports immediate capacity scaling
From education, to fintech, to work from a distance, and media, Tasman Express is touted as making an impressive impact towards accelerating Digital Transformation and economic collaboration across the Tasman. In particular, the project will enable greater connectivity and resilience, and will put Australia and New Zealand on the front foot of the global digital economy.
“It serves to cement our connectivities, build resilience and put Australia and New Zealand in the best possible position to lead in the global digital economy,” Millar concluded.
The successful crossing of a key milestone by Southern Cross Cables is an indication of good project momentum towards the 2028 commercial production. This pioneering subsea cable infrastructure will completely transform digital connectivity between Australia and New Zealand – paving the way for new possibilities in cloud services, artificial intelligence, and enterprise networking, and reinforcing our position in the global digital economy as a developed nation.